Mastodon accounts do not have a built-in blue checkmark like Twitter or Instagram. Instead, Mastodon uses a self-hosted verification method that links your profile to a personal website you control. When you add a link to your website in your Mastodon profile and place a special rel=me link back to your Mastodon profile on that website, Mastodon shows a green checkmark on your profile page. This article explains how to set up that verification step by step.
Key Takeaways: Mastodon Profile Verification via Personal Website
- Edit Profile > Profile URL field: Add the full URL of your personal website to your Mastodon profile. This is the first step to trigger verification.
- HTML tag with rel=me: Insert a link on your personal website that points back to your Mastodon profile URL. This must use the rel=me attribute.
- Green checkmark on profile: When both links are in place, Mastodon automatically scans and displays a green verification badge next to your profile name.
How Mastodon Verification Works
Mastodon verification is not a centralized approval process. No admin or moderator grants you a checkmark. Instead, Mastodon relies on a two-way link between your Mastodon profile and a website you own. The system checks that your Mastodon profile links to your website AND your website links back to your Mastodon profile using the rel=me HTML attribute. When both conditions are met, Mastodon automatically adds a green checkmark next to your profile name.
This method gives you full control over your verification. You do not need to pay a fee or submit documents. You only need the ability to edit the HTML of your personal website. If you use a static site generator like Jekyll or Hugo, a content management system like WordPress, or a plain HTML file hosted on any web server, you can complete this process.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have the following:
- A Mastodon account on any instance. The instance must support the rel=me verification feature. All major instances do.
- A personal website where you can edit the HTML of the homepage or an about page. The website must be publicly accessible on the internet.
- Basic access to edit the HTML or use a plugin that lets you add HTML link tags to the page head.
Steps to Verify Your Mastodon Account Using a Personal Website
The process has two main parts: adding your website to your Mastodon profile and adding a rel=me link on your website back to Mastodon. The order does not matter, but you must complete both.
- Copy your Mastodon profile URL
Open your Mastodon instance in a web browser. Navigate to your profile page. The URL looks like https://instance.name/@username. Copy the entire URL from the address bar. This is the URL you will place on your website. - Add your website URL to your Mastodon profile
On Mastodon, click the Preferences link in the right sidebar. Select Profile from the menu. In the Profile URL field, enter the full URL of your personal website. For example, https://www.yourwebsite.com. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page. - Add a rel=me link on your personal website
Open the HTML source of your personal website. Find the section. Add a tag with the rel attribute set to me and the href attribute set to your Mastodon profile URL. The tag looks like this: <link rel="me" href="https://instance.name/@username">. If your site uses a static site generator or CMS, you may need to add this tag to the header template or theme. Save and publish the change. - Wait for Mastodon to scan your website
After you save both links, Mastodon may take a few minutes to scan your website for the rel=me link. You do not need to refresh your profile. The scan happens automatically when someone views your profile or when Mastodon processes the update. In most cases, the green checkmark appears within 5 to 10 minutes. - Check your profile for the green checkmark
Open your Mastodon profile page in a new browser tab. Look next to your display name. If the verification is successful, you will see a green checkmark icon. Hover over the checkmark to see a tooltip that says Verified: the links match.
Common Mistakes and Limitations
Green Checkmark Does Not Appear After Adding Both Links
The most common cause is a typo in one of the URLs. Double-check that the URL in your Mastodon profile matches the URL of your website exactly. Also verify that the rel=me link on your website uses the correct full Mastodon profile URL, including the https:// prefix and the @username part. If you use a trailing slash on one URL but not the other, the verification fails. Mastodon expects an exact string match.
Website Uses HTTPS but Mastodon Profile Uses HTTP
Mastodon treats http:// and https:// as different URLs. If your website uses HTTPS but you entered http:// in your Mastodon profile, the verification fails. Always use the full protocol that matches your website. If your website supports HTTPS, use https:// in both places.
Website Hosted on a Subdomain
If your personal website is on a subdomain like blog.yourwebsite.com, you must use that exact subdomain URL in your Mastodon profile. Placing the rel=me link on the root domain does not work if the profile URL points to the subdomain. Mastodon checks the exact URL you provide.
WordPress or CMS Users
If you use WordPress, you can add the rel=me link by editing the header.php file in your theme or by using a plugin like Insert Headers and Footers. Do not paste the link tag in the WordPress editor for a page or post. The editor strips out HTML link tags. Always add the tag to the theme header template.
Mastodon Profile Verification vs Centralized Verification
| Item | Mastodon rel=me Verification | Centralized Verification (Twitter/X) |
|---|---|---|
| Approval process | Automatic, no human review | Manual review by platform staff |
| Cost | Free, requires only a website you control | Free for legacy accounts, paid for new verification |
| Control | You control the link; no central authority can revoke it | Platform can revoke at any time |
| Portability | Verification moves with your domain, not your account | Verification is tied to the platform account |
| Required technical skill | Basic HTML editing | None |
Mastodon verification gives you independence from any single service. You can move your Mastodon account to a different instance and re-add the rel=me link. The green checkmark will reappear as long as your website still links to the new profile URL.
Conclusion
You can now verify your Mastodon account using your personal website. The process requires only two steps: add your website URL to your Mastodon profile and add a rel=me link on your website back to your Mastodon profile. After you complete both steps, Mastodon automatically displays a green checkmark on your profile. To further strengthen your identity across the fediverse, consider adding the same rel=me link to your website for other fediverse services like Pixelfed or PeerTube. This creates a chain of verified links that anyone can check.